Natural way to flavour steak from Northern Ireland
A natural way to enhance the flavour of steak has been developed by Kettyle Irish Foods, an award-winning specialist in dry-aged meats.
The company, based at Lisnaskea in rural county Fermanagh, has created a unique dry-aged bone marrow butter which recently won a listing by the UK Guild of Fine Food as one of Britain's Top 50 Foods.
The butter uses bone marrow that's blended with a mix of sea salt and cracked black pepper for added flavour for finishing steaks both in restaurants and at home.
The dry-aged marrow butter, produced in 100g tubs for food service operators and soon to be available to retailers, is based on the company's lengthy experience in the production of dry-aged beef to leading UK supermarkets including Marks and Spencer. The new product has already attracted interest among top chefs and delis.
Driving the innovative development is Maurice Kettyle, founder and managing director of Kettyle Irish Foods, who says: "The big reason why we decided to focus on bone marrow is taste. It is subtle, creamy, nutty and sometimes just a little sweet. It is always extremely rich and a taste that is incredible to perfect and baste a resting steak or roast.
"Dry-aged bone marrow deepens the flavour of the meat and replaces lost juices naturally while adding much needed minerals and vitamins our bodies can only crave. International food writer Anthony Bourdain once described bone marrow as "God's Butter" and I happen to agree with him.
"Bone marrow is one of the building blocks of life. It is high quality fuel imbued with vitamins and minerals but more importantly it is a delicious fuel that would be worth eating even if it were devoid of nutritional value.
"The fact that bone marrow has up to three times more protein, vitamins, iron and Omega 3 than any other protein per 100g, it is not surprising then that historically marrow became the kitchen staple," he adds.
He adds that Kettyle Irish Foods has used its knowledge, passion and artisan craftsmanship to harvest the purest marrow, which is also high in Umami adding even more flavour to every dish.
Kettyle Irish Foods was among three Northern Irish companies with products listed as the Top 50 British Foods, the others being Hannan Meats and McCartney's, both based in Moira, County Antrim. Significantly, all three specialise in artisan meats especially beef and pork.
Kettyle Irish Foods specialises in superior meats. From dry-aged beef, Lough Erne Lamb, Fermanagh Free Range Chicken, Fermanagh Bacon and Rose Veal, Kettyle's team of butchers use their experience to deliver the highest quality of specified cuts.
During the past five years the name Kettyle has become synonymous with award-winning meat served at many fine-dining establishments and supplied to a wide and varied customer-base throughout Ireland, UK and mainland Europe.